Linda Duncan

[The Budget, April 4th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, as my colleague from the Conservative Party mentioned, unfortunately there are some things that are not in the budget. He talked about enabling all Canadians to move forward and have equal access, yet the government has again refused to deliver on what the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered, which is the government ensure comparable access to services by aboriginal families, in particular aboriginal children.

Could he speak, from the bottom of his heart, as to how he could support a budget that still refuses to follow what the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has said and finally give equal opportunity to aboriginal children, so they too can succeed in Canada?

[The Budget, March 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would agree with the hon. member that it makes way more sense to make investments upfront with respect to the environment, because over time it will cost more, particularly when we deal with water and when we withdraw it for safe drinking water. What is deeply disappointing is the paltry amount the government has given.

Day after day we hear the environment minister say that she is balancing environmental protection with economic development. We are happy to see there will be some money eventually for the development of clean technology, but a paltry amount for her department. One of the main things Canadians were calling for worldwide yesterday, on international Water Day, was the protection of water. There is a small amount of money, far less than used to be given, for the protection of water. Where is the money for the Inland Waters Directorate? Where is the money for the action on the UNESCO report demanding action to protect the Peace-Athabasca Delta?

[The Environment, March 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further.

Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the hon. member, who is chair of our Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group. He does that very enthusiastically.

My question for the member is something that no one else this evening has spoken to, and it is a matter of contention in Ukraine. We know that some of the regions, like eastern Ukraine, are calling for a federated type of government, some kind of more decentralized government in decision-making, but there is great reluctance within the current national government to move in that direction.

What hope does the member see in there being some kind of resolution of that dispute? Would that in any way help to bring some of the people in eastern Ukraine more onside with Ukraine being on their side and there being some hope of working together as a nation again?

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I know the hon. member has spoken long and hard about increasing support to Ukraine and on behalf of Ukrainian Canadians. I wonder if the member might be willing to break with the position of his own party when it was in government, a position that I understand is continuing. There are many corrupt officials involved directly with Putin against whom it would not issue sanctions, including Sechin and Yakunin. There are still Canadian companies that are doing business with these characters. Is the member willing to step forth and say that it is time that we expanded the sanctions against all people who are aligned with Putin?

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my colleague for raising that. A number of people have talked about the number of refugees. Not only do we need to get humanitarian aid to the people in the Donbass region and into the Crimea, we need to support those people who have basically become refugees in their own country.

We know we have a crisis across our border. We know there are announcements by the new American government, saying it will severely cut foreign aid. We need to take a close look at our foreign aid budget. I hope in the coming budget this week we in fact see substantial increases, because we have a crisis going on in Africa, but we also have a crisis going on in Ukraine. They are family members of many Canadians, and we need to be ensuring that we are reaching out to support them.

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, one of the things the Government of Canada could do is support the interaction and trade between farmers and small business in Canada with farmers and small business in Ukraine. We always talk about the backbone of the Canadian economy being small business, yet what are we doing to support and foment that kind of trade?

When I travelled in Ukraine and I talked to local governments, civil society, and small business, they are looking for that kind of support. Are we simply going to support the oligarchs and get Canadian or American companies matched up with the oligarchs to exploit gas, or are we going to do something different and lend direct support to small business and Ukrainian Canadian communities here to build that in Ukraine?

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, I would like to respond by giving the hon. member a few specifics. Let us go beyond the rhetoric that we will give a whole-of-government support. Let me give a few examples. Would it not be wonderful if the government of the day stepped up and said that it would put the funds in to return Ukrainian interns to the country. That would be one specific thing that could be done that our friendship association would really appreciate. I cannot understate the value of that exercise. I had up to six interns that came to work with me in my office. They have all gone back and are contributing, working hand in glove with the government.

Second, we need to give support to the independent media. We need to give a lot more support through CIDA to civil society. It is civil society in Ukraine that is going to create a more democratic government and will hold it accountable, while supporting its own troops and to be building a society that Ukrainians want to have.

Those are two of the specific recommendations I would make in that regard.

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Madam Chair, it is my privilege to stand to speak to this take-note debate.

First, I want to speak about the Edmonton Ukrainian Canadian community and how stalwart it has been across the country in standing up and giving support to their families overseas. It is absolutely incredible and it keeps pressure on us, getting us to speak out. I particularly want to mention Daria Luciw who is the former past president of the Edmonton UCC. She has been incredible in reaching out to me and telling me the views of the Edmonton UCC.

It is absolutely important that everyone in this place and across Canada takes the time and the opportunity available through the Ukrainian Canadian community to inform us about historic travesties that have gone on in Ukraine. I have had the privilege of participating in the Holodomor commemorations each year. There is a Holodomor travelling exposition, but there is also the Bitter Harvest film. I encourage people see it in the theatres. It talks about the crisis that Ukraine suffered in the past and continues to suffer.

A new play has been produced in Alberta, with the support of St. John's Institute, called Blood of our Soil. It is the most powerful presentation that I have seen of the long history of travesties that the people of Ukraine have suffered from the time of Stalin through Hitler and now under Putin. I hope the play will come to Ottawa.

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs has advised, Ukrainians were early settlers to our Prairies and many of them descended from the train in Edmonton Strathcona, becoming tillers of the soil, and now holding places in all the governments of our country. It is to their credit. As a number of speakers here have said, it is important for us all to stand up for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and speak out in support of Ukraine.

My colleagues and I support Operation Unifier continuing. Many have been waiting for this decision to be made and finally it has been. My guess is that two years probably will not be enough unless Mr. Putin backs off and takes away the support of what is going on in eastern Ukraine.

We celebrate and honour the commitment of Canadian troops, some of which include the Princess Patricia from Edmonton. I am very proud they have gone overseas again to share their skills and professionalism with the Ukrainian troops, many of which are completely untrained. I have met many of the young men and women who head off to the eastern edge of Ukraine with absolutely no training, putting their own lives at risk.

However, as has been mentioned in the House, it is equally important not only that we give this direct assistance to build the army and the troops of Ukraine, but that we give increased support to the development of a democracy and restoration of the rule of law in the country. I spent a good deal of time over the four or five times I have visited in meeting with human rights advocates and with independent media that are struggling to be a voice for ordinary Canadians. Governments in the local area need our assistance in teaching them how they can work effectively with civil society. There are many young Ukrainians who are desperate to work hand in glove with the Ukrainian government in teaching them how to be more democratic. It is absolutely critical that we build that democracy if it is to have any hope of getting the confidence of the people in eastern Ukraine, that they can have confidence in their government to represent them.

I also want to mention a number of specific actions that could be taken. Disappointingly, the previous Conservative government gave short shrift to the imposition of sanctions. My colleagues in this place have continued to push to extend the sanctions so they are on par with the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU, particularly Igor Sechin and Vladimir Yakunin, and to get rid of the various existing loopholes that allow Canadians to work with these discreditable entities in Russia, which help to foment and support this war.

Again, we want to give thanks to the troops that are there and to let the people of Ukraine know we are here to support them and that we will hold the Liberal government accountable for delivering on the many promises that it makes.

[Operation UNIFIER, March 20th, 2017]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the hon. minister for her speech. We are well aware of each other's commitment to the community and through her family.

I am glad that the minister raised the issue about civil society. I had the privilege a number of years back to travel with the foreign affairs committee to Ukraine, before the government changed, to look into the erosion of rule of law and the erosion of democracy.

I met with representatives of the media, representatives of families who had been jailed, representatives of families who had been kicked out of the country. I heard concerns from human rights organizations. It is great that we now have a trade agreement with Ukraine. The problem is that we need to give more support to civil society to make sure that all Ukrainians benefit from economic development. As members in this place have mentioned, there is continuing corruption.

Does the minister agree that the government should be increasing its support to civil society? Young Ukrainians like the ones who have come here to intern have gone back to Ukraine and want to work with the government toward their direct engagement in the future of their country—not just in the development of the economy, but in creating better courts and a better judicial system.